So where were you - When you heard about wtc bombings?

[Gooch]

I had been on my way to work, right outside Penn Station, about to go into my building when my old boss came walking up to me to say that some moron flew into one of the towers. The initial belief, originally, was that a prop plane flew into it. This misconception was probably from the Tower's immense size and the original impact point (before it became a huge inferno). I went upstairs, and found my coworkers telling me it was indeed a jet. Just on my way to the window on our floor, the 2nd jet flew into it. The reaction of my coworkers was complete dismay and shock. The implications, then, hit me that it was coordinated. I am glad I missed that 2nd jet flying into it, b/c I know that those that did see it are haunted by it. What I did see from our windows is the two blackened holes, the smoke billowing, and the slow realization that somehow we had been violated on a level that just left us all numb. We watched from a conferance room, many pacing, silent, sitting...all affected in some way. I left the conference room and went to my computer and turned on my radio. I went onto the OA board, and got a ton of IM's. Not even sure who I spoke to. But, I kept refreshing Tquila's thread to see if there was new info and where from, so I could verify. I was also concerned for my own safety. I was in a 'marked' building that could be targeted b/c of two reasons...1. Goverment facilities 2. CNN. And, above all, I was directly across the street from MSG and Penn Station. While I was gathering info, and talking to my brother via the phone (he works for my company on another floor), I heard over the radio the reporter screaming that the towers were crumbling. I ran over to the confernace room and saw it fall. It just fell in on itself, level after level collapsing. Smoke, debris, and dust mushrooming around it, and eventually taking the place of what was concrete, steel, windows and people. It was gone. I watched the other tower fall as well. The intial reports being thrown around was that it was a bomb inside...but this was an assumption by those who did not understand that once the structure was comprimised, it was inevitable that it would collapse. However, the bomb rumor did shake us further. In another conference room, CNN is playing. Some sit in there to get info. Everyone is shook up. Everyone is just wandering around aimlessly. Trains are not being run. We have no place to go. Some suggest to leave, but the consensus is to stay put. Scott (my brother) and I decide to wait it out, and hope that we get news of the LIRR moving so we can get out of dodge and head out to Long Island and stay at our parents. (Though I live in Queens, I don't want to even go back there). Later that afternoon, I go downstairs onto the street. People walk the streets, some are walking to the bridges. There is a steady stream of dust covered people coming up 8th avenue. Penn Station has become a giant mass of people trying to get into it. There are reports that LIRR trains maybe moving soon. About a 1/2 hour later, the mob is gone, and Scott & I decide we can try to grab a train. All we want to do is just get out of NYC. God knows what else is coming. We go down a side entrance, and catch a train by using little known entrance on the 8th Ave side towards the back of the train. We take the train out to Farmingdale, and just cab it to my parents. My mother, who is concerned and haven't heard from us, is shocked to see us both come sauntering up the walkway at 3pm while there are reports of people still being stuck in NYC for hours. Some never got home till late that evening. We were lucky to have left when we did, b/c we never had any trouble or any crowds once the initial mob had dispersed.

Scott and I went to work the next day, feeling that we did not want someone elses actions dictate our lives. That day, though quiet, was fine. It was two days later when everyone had the nervousness and alot of false alarms. We had to evacuate,etc on that 2nd day. People from CNN were hysterical and crying.

That's where I was on Sept. 11th.